Local agro-producers are moving away from ‘bottom house’ operations to a new dispensation of world trade. Therefore, whether the product is being used domestically or overseas, producers must confirm to certain standards and Guyana is working to ensure this happens.Guyana is still a little behind because there are no mandatory laws outlining the standards with which agro-processors and producers must comply. Some guidelines exist informing producers how to operate but they are not obligated to confirm.The Inter-American Institute for Cooperation in Agriculture (IICA) has been partnering with Government and other agencies to inform and build awareness of mandatory international standards during the initial stage of working with agro-processors and producers.This is according to Dr. Maxine Parris-Aaron, Agriculture Health Specialist, of IICA. She said that IICA provides technical assistance and operates in different areas including agriculture health and food safety, technology and innovation,Cheap Hockey Jerseys, and sustainable rural development.Dr. Maxine Parris-AaronDr. Parris-Aaron noted that agro-processors and producers need to understand food safety since it is directly linked to human health. To obtain quality products that are safe for human consumption all relevant bodies need to collaborate. Consequently, the product will be of higher quality,NFL Jerseys From China, healthy, and labeled with standardized information. “We are moving slowly to that stage; we need it to speed it up,” she stated.An important component of food safety is packaging and labeling. In Guyana, there are persons equipped with the knowledge and materials to label packages but the packaging materials, except the regular plastic bags, are not readily available.To package products, processors have to import various materials including Styrofoam trays but the cost is astronomical to some of the producers. Therefore, many items end-up on shelves without proper packaging and labeling.“I feel that a lot more public awareness has to be done and we need to be able to link all these things to the end result which is human health. That bridge needs to be built where people understand it is not just about how the product looks but at the end of the day the whole packaging speaks to the end product.“That is why if you take some of the foreign made product you will see there is an extra seal,” Dr. Parris-Aaron emphasised.She pointed out that some of the solutions for packaging and labeling are available beyond Guyana’s borders.According to some agro-processors involved in honey, pepper sauce,Cheap NFL Jerseys, and green seasoning production,Wholesale NFL Jerseys, the unavailability of new plastic bottles hinders their output. They said that sometimes it takes days before they can source the bottles, slowing their business.Dr. Parris-Aaron said,cheap nfl jerseys sale, “In Guyana there is one company that blows the bottles but they are limited in sizes and amount and Caribbean Container Ltd manufactures boxes.”Another problem with packaging and labeling is obtaining the relevant packaging at a cost the agro-processors can afford. There are some solutions nearby. Producers can uplift containers from Suriname.She related that IICA has spoken to some women’s groups to get onboard to order the packaging in bulk, where it would be more cost effective and easier for them to obtain regular shipment.For this to be possible,Cheap Jerseys 2018, local investors need to be motivated to invest in the manufacturing of plastic bottles and other packaging. As such, agro-processors, be it small groups have to develop effective business plans to forecast the amount of bottles needed.Dr. Parris-Aaron stated, “We need to get these groups together organized in such a way that they are able to forecast, using the information we have in terms of needs, we can then encourage some investors to get onboard and produce those packages.”